Oklahoma City listed as one of nation’s top 25 cities to find work

By Mariah Coulter on September 29, 2017

Though many students move away after graduation to find work, Oklahoma Christian University students may not need to. According to a recent report by Glassdoor, Oklahoma Christian students are conveniently located in one of the 25 Best Cities for Jobs in 2017.

“So much change is happening,” Oklahoma Christian Director of Career Services Candace Owens said. “The city councils are attracting more and more companies into the city, increasing jobs for students. With all the growth downtown, we have students who are graduating and want to stay in the area.”

Glassdoor rated each city based on a number of factors, including hiring opportunity, cost of living and job satisfaction, News OK reported. Oklahoma City ranked 15th in the nation, highlighting high-demand jobs, such as medical assistants and restaurant managers.

According to 2015-16 data, 77 percent of Oklahoma Christian graduates find work within 6 months of graduation, Owens said. Currently, there are over 157 active job opportunities on the Eagles at Work website. Career Services posts available jobs on the website as businesses contact them in search of graduates.

Senior nursing student Amanda Covalt, who plans to stay in the Oklahoma City area, said she does not worry about getting a job after she graduates in May.

“Nursing has grown so much over the past few years,” Covalt said. “There are so many opportunities and a lot of job security.”

The explanation for the rise in medical jobs, both in Oklahoma and across the nation, could point to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, Owens said.

“Clinics are popping up everywhere,” Owens said. “Integris and Mercy have clinics independent of hospitals, which allow a further reach into the community. Medical assistants and nurses are there to help because the doctors are often overworked.”

The job availability and atmosphere of Oklahoma City led senior Morgan Woodbridge to question whether to move back home to Nashville, TN after graduation.

“I love how much there is to do here,” Woodbridge said. “Within a 30-minute drive, you can be downtown in Bricktown experiencing the OKC culture, or in Guthrie in the beautiful country. It would be a great place to work.”

With the many colleges surrounding Oklahoma City, each brings a new set of graduates to help contribute to Oklahoma City, Owens said.

“They are bringing their own experiences from their lives and colleges,” Owens said. “These students are helping to make this city a great place to live and work.”